So far, so good for the Green Archers in the second round.
After beating the likes of FEU, UP and Adamson, their succeeding three games will be against teams at the lower end of the standings. If they get the job done, they will very well clinch that twice-to-beat advantage in the semis.
Tomorrow they will be facing a UE team that has somehow been reinvigorated after winning 3 of their last 4 games. The Red Warriors are coming off a morale-boosting victory over UP last Sunday to keep their semis hopes alive.
Despite not having a foreign player in their roster, UE has somehow managed to keep their games competitive even against the more talented squads. This team has been playing with a lot of toughness, grit and energy and are very much capable of scoring an upset if taken lightly.
Honestly, there isn’t really much to discuss on what the Green Archers need to do to win in this game. The key to victory is simple – stop Alvin Pasaol’s scoring spree. This guy has been on an offensive tear as of late, averaging 28 points in his last 5 games including a career-high 49 against La Salle in the first round. We expect the Archers to play better defense this time.
The Red Warriors are still in the thick of the fight for the semis and will surely play with a lot more aggresiveness and intensity. Taking a page out of Adamson’s playbook last Saturday, we expect them as well to play physical in order to disrupt the Archers’ offensive flow.
If La Salle will maintain their composure, avoid lapses on defense and most importantly, continue to play “their game” which has so far given them three straight wins, they will surely come out on top in this one.